This is Why Your Neck Hurts All the Time
And what to do about it
Whenever I teach yoga classes, I usually start by asking what kind of class everyone is in the mood for. Do they want an upbeat class? More stretching? What body parts need a little extra attention? Inevitably someone says “neck and upper back stretching” because having a tight neck is incredibly common these days.
There are many reasons for a tight neck and most of them are postural. If you wake up with a stiff neck, that could be because your pillow and/or mattress aren’t supporting you in the way that you need. If your neck is tight by the end of the day, chances are your are in a “forward head” position for longer than you should be. Tech Neck is a term for that forward head position, where the head falls forward due to looking at your phone, being at a computer, or even reading (not tech, but same position).
Your body was made to stand vertically with the joints stacked. This way gravity’s pull doesn’t strain your muscles. When you practice Tadasana, or Mountain pose, you are practicing for when you are off the mat and walking around in the world. The strength, stability, and mobility that Mountain pose requires is everything your body needs to get out of Tech Neck and stand up straight.
That being said, you need to be aware of your body when you are not on the mat. Practicing yoga daily will help build strength and help your body feel looser and more at ease. But what are you doing with the other 15 waking hours? One hour of yoga isn’t going to undo 15 hours of slouching. You need to bring your awareness with you off the mat and into you life.
Why stretching your neck is not always the answer
When your neck feels tight, what is the first thing you do? Stretch it. Maybe you do some neck rolls or hold your head to one side or the other. The reason this might not help is because your neck is already too stretched.
Imagine a spring with a weight on the end of it. The weight pulls on the spring stretching it out. The longer the weight stays on the spring, the less likely it is for the spring to return to its original position unless you manually squish it back together. And even then, it might stay a bit disfigured.
Same with your neck.
Your forward head acts like a weight on the end of a spring. Your head is HEAVY and your neck and upper back muscles get stretched out. The longer your head is forward, the more those muscles strain and they start to hurt. They feel “tight” but in fact they are loose and straining to keep your head from falling to the ground. What your muscles actually need to feel better is to contract.
Solving your neck problems
Posture is the cause of most neck pain, whether from sleeping “wrong,” or standing or sitting with poor posture. Over time and through the aging process, this can lead to degeneration in the cervical discs, causing nerve pain down the arms. Preventing this from happening in the first place is best as it’s much harder to unring a bell than not ring it in the first place.
There are lots of funny things we do with our neck when we sit at a desk working or move through the day. Pay attention to your posture and try to have as vertical and neutral a posture as possible. Sit up on your sit bones with a combination of strength and ease. Try to move symmetrically if possible. It’s not always possible, but switching your “mouse” hand or brushing your teeth with the other hand can help even things out.
Practice Mountain pose against a wall
I love using the wall as a reference. You can also use the floor, but standing against the wall mimics daily movements. Press your heels against the wall or have them an inch or so away, depending on what feels doable. Press as much of your body against the wall as you can, especially the back of the pelvis, your upper back, and the back of your head.
Try to press the backs of the shoulders against the wall. If they don’t touch, you may need to spend some time stretching your chest muscles and opening the fronts of your shoulders. These can also get tight from a forward head. I love to lie down on a foam roller and let my arms drop on either side, palms facing upward. It’s a passive way to stretch the chest and shoulders. Feel free to place blocks or blankets under your forearms if the don’t reach the floor.
When practicing Mountain pose, feel the quadriceps and glutes engage, as well as the lower abdominals. This will create stability in the pose allowing more ease in the neck and jaw. It will also bring you into a more vertical position.
Check your mirrors
Driving is a common time for posture to fall apart. You might lean on the console or the door’s armrest. You might slouch or sit funny. Often the longer you drive, the more problematic your posture becomes.
When you are in your car, sit straight with your head against the headrest. From that position, adjust your rear view mirror so you can see behind you. Every time you check your mirror while driving, it’s a reminder to sit up straight.
Circle, squeeze, and shrug
When I notice my neck hurting (even I can fall into Tech Neck), there are three things that are my go-tos. First I do some shoulder circles, moving forward, then upward, then backward and around again. I usually only go in this direction since the reverse direction encourages tightening the front and stretching the back. Not what I need.
After that, I interlace my fingers behind my lower back and squeeze my shoulder blades together. This activates the Rhomboids and middle Trapezius muscles which tend to weaken with the forward head.
Once I squeeze together I shrug, lifting my shoulders up by my ears. This shrug contracts all the muscles that are strained to relieve Tech Neck. Then I repeat this interlacing the fingers with the other fingers on top (shifting all the fingers over by one).
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